“We’ve been trained with our studies in school and on TV shows that I need to eat meat to get my protein,” but is that really the case? Plant-based diets have been showing up from social media to professional athletes, but that also brings up a very important question…why? “There are certain things in a plant that you don’t get in a meat-based diet,” Wagner explains. He pointed out that plants offer “more minerals and nutrients without having the fat, the SAT fat, the calories and mostly the cholesterol” that often come with meat-heavy meals. The largest concern with a plant-based diet is protein. Having a good source of protein is essential for people and especially for athletes since they require a much higher intake of protein compared to a regular person. “I need to eat meat to get my protein” is what everyone has been taught from a young age but that is simply not the case, “Protein is present in plants as well, and you would be just fine getting your protein from plants versus a meat-based diet,” Wagner says. 10 to 35 percent of a person’s diet should come from protein and getting it from plants is just as easy with many options such as soy since it has all nine amino acids that complement each other for your body’s needs. Research backs all of these claims. According to a Harvard Health article, studies over many years have linked plant-based diets to lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers compared to diets high in meat and other animal products. Physicians also recommend focusing on whole, plant-based foods while limiting meat, dairy, processed foods, and eggs to encourage healthier lifestyles. Ver Wadhava, a freshman at Rocklin high has been vegetarian for his entire life. “I’ve always been vegetarian, and my parents have.” Even though he is 6’5, he has no problem getting full from plants, saying “I feel like it’s very easy to get full easily, because there’s different ways of getting those carbs and that feel of having protein from a vegetarian diet so there’s a lot of ways you can feel full.” Even though there are many benefits to going vegetarian, people are still hesitant about switching. Rocklin high student Diego Martinez explained that completely giving up meat products would be a struggle since he has been eating meat all of his life and not being allowed to eat all of his favorite foods is too much to ask, but he was willing to give it a try and not eat meat somedays. As more students learn about nutrition and long-term health, the plant-based conversation is likely to keep growing. It’s a topic worth talking about, especially as this generation decides what healthy really looks like.